THE TORY ISLAND LANCER SET

Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007

CORNERS AND CORNER COUPLES

(X = gent O = lady)


1st corner

X

 

O

2nd corner

couple

O

 

X

couple

1st corner

 

2nd corner

 

X O

 
 

Home place

 
First Figure - Single Jigs/Polkas 152 bars
1 Lead around with crossed hand hold, ladies turning under one or both arms on the last 2 bars. 8 bars
2 Hug swing, with R arms around partners' waists and L hands holding partners' R arms just above the elbow.
Note:This hold is used throughout the set
8 bars
3 Top couples:
1st gent and 2nd lady dance in and swing, to separate and finish each facing centre in front of their respective 2nd corner couple and with partner's R hand in their L.
8 bars
Each now 'drags' his/her partner across the set, the crossing dancers passing L to L, and dances into place beside him/her in the place opposite their own and taking R hand in R (2, yes 2, bars). Couples advance (2 bars) and retire only slightly (2 bars) and crossover, ladies R to R then gents R to R and face their corners (2 bars). 8 bars
4 Swing corners. 8 bars
5 Swing partners. 8 bars
6 Top couples now repeat 3 with 2nd gent and 1st lady leading. 16 bars
7 Swing corners.
Swing partners.
16 bars
8 Side couples now dance 3 with 1st gent (L of 1st tops) and 2nd lady leading. 16 bars
9 Swing corners.
Swing partners.
16 bars
10 Side couples now repeat 3 with 2nd gent and 1st lady leading. 16 bars
11 Swing corners.
Swing partners.
16 bars
Second Figure - Single Jigs/Polkas 184 bars
1 Lead around.
Swing.
16 bars
2 1st top couple:
Dance in and swing: they advance R hand in R (2 bars), change places with the lady turning anti-clockwise underarm (2 bars) and swing, falling back to place on the last 2 bars (12 bars). While they swing, side couples separate and walk into line with their corner top couple.
16 bars
3 Advance and retire: with crossed hand hold behind, the lines advance and retire four times, side couples remaining in place for the last 2 bars. 16 bars
4 Swing. 8 bars
5 2nd top couple dance in and swing and sides again walk into line. 16 bars
6 Advance and retire.
Swing.
24 bars
7 1st side couple dance in and swing and top couples walk into line. 16 bars
8 Advance and retire.
Swing.
24 bars
9 2nd side couple dance in and swing and tops again walk into line. 16 bars
10 Advance and retire.
Swing.
24 bars
Third Figure - Polkas 72 bars
1 Lead around.
Swing.
16 bars
2 Ladies R and L star: the ladies take R hands in the centre and dance around (4 bars), turn in to take L hands and dance back to place (4 bars). At the same time the gents dance anti-clockwise around the set (4 bars), turn inwards and dance back to place (4 bars). 8 bars
3 Swing. 8 bars
4 Ladies R and L star.
Swing.
16 bars
5 Ladies R and L star.
Swing.
16 bars
Fourth Figure - Polkas 120 bars
1 Lead around.
Swing.
16 bars
2 Top couples double diamond: with R hand in R they dance in to face their 1st corner couple (2 bars), fall back into their opposite place (2 bars), dance round to face their 2nd corner couple (2 bars) and fall back into their home place(2 bars). The whole 8 bar movement is then repeated. 16 bars
Swing. 8 bars
Double diamond. 16 bars
Swing. 8 bars
3 Side couples now dance 2 and all swing to finish. 48 bars
Fifth Figure - Single Jigs 160 bars
1 Lead around.
Swing.
16 bars
2 Step it out, partners facing each other (see STEPS below). 8 bars
3 Interlace: partners honour each other with a slight bow of the head while dancing in place (2 bars) then dance past each other R to R, pass the next L to L and repeat this sequence to meet partners in the opposite place. 8 bars
Step it out. 8 bars
Interlace:dancers omit the bow at this point, continue in the same direction and honour their partners as they meet back home. 8 bars
4 Top couples:
Arches: both couples take inside hands and dance across into each other's place, 1st couple forming an arch for the 2nd couple to dance through, the lady ahead of the gent.  Partners drop hands and turn inwards in the opposite place, take inside hands and dance back to place, the 2nd couple this time making the arch for 1st couple to dance through (8 bars). The whole movement is then repeated.
16 bars
5 Step it out.
Interlace.
Step it out.
Interlace.
32 bars
6 Side couples now dance the arches. 16 bars
7 Step it out.
Interlace.
Step it out.
Interlace.
32 bars
8 Swing. 8 bars
STEPS
The same polka/'down' jig step is used throughout, except for the Step it out movement where a double jig step is used.
Gents dance:-

1

2

3

&

2

2

3

&

3

2

3

&

4

2

3

&

R

LhLt

R

LhLt

L

RhRt

L

RhRt

R

LhLt

R

LhLt

L

RhRt

L

RhRt

Ladies dance:-

1

2

3

&

2

2

3

&

3

2

3

&

4

2

3

&

L

RhRt

L

RhRt

R

LhLt

R

LhLt

L

RhRt

L

RhRt

R

LhLt

R

LhLt

4 bars, repeated once, the weight being carried by the underlined foot, or toe.
SOURCE
Connie Ryan at Cecil Sharp House, London in February, 1995. Connie had collected the set, together with another of which I have no record, from the Tory Island dancers on the weekend of 15th-17th June,1994.

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